So one should never educate the slaves about their position or their possibilities ?
I would say that learning without liberty is essential - to foster liberty.

It's too easy being a bank. Lend money to good risk people, and if they fail you nail there house. You can sit on that house for a couple of years and make even more back on it than you would on the 25 year loan.

I just don't get how a bank can lose, who are these numbskulls with *** for brains who sunk these banks? They should be facing hard prison time.

If any of lost that much money we'd be looking at prison, no doubt about it.

--[Well, I'm certain there are a number of people who fall into that category but a large number of common stock shareholders were employees saving for retirement, college, etc.]--

Errrr, did these people ever hear of the word "portfolio"? I guess they didn't realise that putting all your savings into a SINGLE company is about the riskiest thing you can possibly do. Looks like US education has a bit to answer for...

This bailout isn't for shareholders, who will be entirely screwed. It's for the mortgage holders and the finance sector in general (and therefore the entire U.S. economy, and therefore the world economy). 

Mike should take some economics lessons and read a newspaper: If he's in the market soon to purchase a house, interests rates have already fallen somewhat on the bailout news, and will continue to fall slightly. 

This bailout fixes 50% of the problem caused by bad mortgages, has already lowered home loan interest rates in the short term, and will generate a profit for the American taxpayer in the long run. Capitalists are for it because the previous half-private/half-public status of the companies was unsustainable, and was partially to blame for the crisis in the first place.

My wife has worked at Freddie Mac for the past 9 years. During that time, she accumulated a little less than 1,000 shares of common stock. About half of it was purchased through deductions from her paycheck (employees received a 15% discount) and the other half she received as part of various awards. A year ago, these shares were worth ~$65,000. Today, they're worth about $900. Fortunately, we're both still (relatively) young and the loss doesn't impact us that much. But my wife has a co-worker who's daughter just started college and a large part of the money that she'd been saving was invested in Freddie Mac stock. Another of my wife's co-workers is 63 years old and was planning to retire at 65. Not anymore, though. In recent days, I've seen blanket statements like in the mainstream media like "no one should feel sorry for stockholders who, for years, cashed in on huge profits". Well, I'm certain there are a number of people who fall into that category but a large number of common stock shareholders were employees saving for retirement, college, etc.

Even though we lost a significant amount of money, as a taxpayer, I would ultimately have to agree that it's not fair to "bailout" shareholders. Investing in any stock has risks even though this sad mess is not directly the fault of most employee shareholders. Within Freddie Mac, the ultimate responsibility for this situation lies with the CEO, the board of directors and senior executive management. Sadly, it's those very same people who will walk away with millions of dollars in compensation.

I know communism first hand so when I came to the US I was expecting, well, not paradise, but a truly capitalistic system, sure. Boy was I surprised. The amount of bureaucracy and welfare (obviously, not only the good kind) is ridiculous. The US system is as much of a capitalist utopia as Russian communism was a socialist utopia.

There is only one purpose that all political systems (real ones anyway) serve and that is exploitation, or rather making exploitation efficient and organized. They seem to be doing their job well.

"off with their heads!"


Malinvestment caused by government intervention in any sector of a free economy will lead to disaster. The policy resulting in artificially low interest rates misled consumers looking to consume, while homebuilders saw the low interest rates as a signal to build, and build they did. Prices of existing homes has now pulled down the prices of new homes to the level of construction costs or below. This has led to a sharp contraction in building and a lot of laid off yanks.

AND now this - Fanny and Freddie bail out! - with an unlimited amount of money to 'fix' the problem!! I labor hard to earn these dollars that are now being printed to bail out any private firm that might make the stocks crash... But if the stocks are priced in dollars and the value of these dollars are losing value every time one is printed... well it's not hard to see the game being played.

Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.

It's a good thing that the "bailout" is happening to put a floor in the housing market. I wonder at times like these (gov bailout) why the "stock holders" aren't the ones' putting up the cash for the bailout. After all we are constantly reminded how it's important to know that the stock holders are more important than employees when it comes to making money but they have zero responsibility when it comes to spending money. Stock holders in this case are really nothing more than stock speculators. The stock market in nothing more than a casino for people who wouldn't get caught dead a a blackjack table. The market is a pox on all of our houses.........

Obviously a young whipper snapper who wants to repeat the economics of Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. Funny how Reagan's deregulation has brought us the 4 greatest financial busts since 1932. S&L debacle due to relaxed lending standards, CFTC/Wendy Graham/Dot.bomb collapse, Enron, and now the mortgage mess on W's watch. Greed is good let China beware. As to the crackpots solution is delay bonuses 5 years to see the real effect of smoke and mirrors accounting and send the bastards who cheat off to prison. More Michael Milken's and John Keating's (remember him Mr McCain) sent to jail every year.

What on earth is a pig-dog? ...half-dog, half-pig? something like a sheep-dog except for rounding up pigs?

I see This INQ content in someone's bad books in semblances by fits and starts and full of spite and shite!

I had did much preferred to see from whence I might put a sock in all this Plain Heinz, Bud & Stella bobble-head Merlin knock-offs; but that's no change and more of the same, I reckons.

If I could be arsed enough to vote now it would be for the Labour Liberal Tory'd Democrats. 

Lies - damn lies - and statistics - Polls
about as useful as chocolate teapot spotters. Pseudo-journalistic priests, such as Karl Marxist, are best leftoverwitch in their own rotting pile of iniquity's anomalies, peculiarities and concerns what birthed their spawn.

I'm not no senator's son; no it ain't me.
I ain't no "Live Free or Die Hard" John McClane. And don't call me Sugar.
I'll call you.

god damn, if I give money out or get to much in debt will the government bail me out?? nah i didnt think so!!!

As a yank, I don't see any point in a gov' bailout. Let them fail. With any investment comes risk. I plan to buy a home soon and their failures would only hurt me in the short run, since I will be needing a bank note of my own. On the other hand it would be better for the country - and, by extension, me - in the long run. 

The crackpots running these businesses need a kick in the arse, not a hug and a 'you'll do better next time, try again'.